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At approximately 4:00AM this morning, “Kematee,” a 4-year-old sloth bear, gave birth to a single cub in the secluded den area located behind her public habitat. Then, at approximately 9:30AM, she gave birth to a second cub! These are the first births for Kematee, who arrived at Zoo Miami in 2021 from the Philadelphia Zoo where she was born. The father is “Hank,” who is 11 years old and arrived at Zoo Miami in 2016 from the National Zoo in Washington D.C. where he was born. These are also his first surviving cubs. These are the first sloth bears born at Zoo Miami since 1998.
Kematee will remain off-exhibit, secluded in her den with the cubs, to help ensure that they are able to establish a strong bond with minimal interruptions or distractions. There are many challenges still facing the first-time mother and cubs and these next few days will be the most critical time in determining the cubs’ survival. Kematee has initially demonstrated good care and the cubs have been confirmed to be successfully nursing. Zoo staff will wait until they are more confident that Kematee and the cubs have settled into a routine before performing a neonatal examination to positively identify the sexes of the cubs as well as retrieve baseline information to help ensure that they are developing properly.
Sloth bears are considered a vulnerable species that is threatened by poaching and habitat destruction. They are solitary and found in moist and dry forests of the Indian subcontinent where they feed primarily on fruit and insects – especially termites. There is a gap in their upper front teeth which enables them to create a straw with their long lips and suck up termites and other insects quickly and effectively. Their long shaggy coat does not have an undercoat, so it helps keep them cool in their native warm climate while protecting them from biting insects.
